Automobile-lamp.



H. J. KNIPPLE.

ATOMOBILE L AMP. APPLICATION FILED MAR.15.1910.

982, 142, Patented Jan. 17,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a Hof/nag H, J. KNIPPLE. AUTOMOBILE LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MARA-5,1910.

' l Patent-,ea Jan. 17,'1911 Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HARRY J. KNIPPLE, OFfJOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

'AUTOMOBILE-LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 15, 19'10. Serial No. 549,436.

To cil if .31cm 'it may concern.'

requiring illuminated identification numbers.

`he purpose of this invention is the pri vision of a lamp embodying a -pluralityof sides oi transparent material, each side bearing a different identification number and the lamp body being so mounted as to admity of its ready adj ustment/to display the number according to the jurisdiction to be traversed or in which the machine .is to be operated. i further purpose of the invention is the construction of a lamp of the character and for the purpose aforesaid which will admit of two identification numbers being displayed at thc saine time, so that when passing from one jurisdiction into the adjacent jurisdiction it will not be necessary' to adjust the lamp.

The invention consists of the novel feal tures, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularlyv set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed. out in the appended claims. A

-liei'ei'ring to the drawings, forming a part ot the application, Figure 1 is a. front View otan automobile lamp embodying the invention. lfig. 2 is a top plan View of the lamp, a portio'n being broken away. Fig. is a vertical section of the lamp on the line 3 3 of l"ig. 2, the upper portion being broken away. Fig.. i is a view of. the top of the lamp inverted. Fig. 5 is a top plan view o the lamp4 body, the lamp top being removed. Fig. C 'is a front View of the lamp bracket.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description, and indicated in all the views ot the drawings, by the saine reference characters. p

The lamp comprises' essentially three parts,

liCient, in which case the a top, a body, and an oil reservoir provided with a burner and constituting the lamp proper. The lamp body is indicated at 1 and is provided with a pendent portion 2 adapted to receive'the -lamp 3, which latter is detachable to admit of trimming and to be replenished with oil when required. The lamp body comprises a plurality of sides each adapted to receive a transparent plate bearing an identification number, the several plates being retained in position by suitable means so as to be easily replaced when required from any cause. lamp body are open` and are adapted to receive the transparent plates 4, which latter bear the identification numbers. Strips 5 applied to the sides of the lamp body upon the inner Walls thereof serve to. retain the plates 4 in place. The identification plates I4 are slipped into position from above and are retained in place by the lamp top. The

lamp body may be constructed with any number of sides, usually three being sufamp body presents a triangular appearance 1n plan view, as 1nldicated most clearly in Figs. 2, 4 and 5.

This construction admits of two sides of the lamp body being'conspicuously displayed so as to admit ot two identification numbers being Seen, with the result-that when passing from one jurisdiction into an adjoining juris diction it is' not necessary to adjust the lamp, it being understood that the t-Wo numbers displayed bear different identifying characters to designate the respective urlsdictions or municipalities. rlhe body of the lamp is provided along the upper edge of each side with an outwardly extending flange (S, which is adapted to engage a retaining flange of the lamp top so as to bold the@ lamp body in place. Each ot the flanges 6 is provided with a pair ot slots 7 adapted to register with coricspondii'ig slots 8 in an edge portion of the base of the lamp top so as to receive ears 9 of the lamp bracket 10,v whereby the parts are locked when assembled. l

The lamp top comprises a base 11, a chimney 12 and a series of bulls eyes y13, which latter are provided with colored lenses according to the color of light to be displayed. The base 11 corresponds iny outline'to the shape of the lamp body, sonas,to.; close the top thereof and is provided yalongy its edges with recurved flanges 14, which are adapted to engage with the outwardly extending Fatented dan. 17, 1911.'

The sides ofthe.

flanges 6 of the lainp body so as to support the latter. The lamp body is slipped into position by a sliding movement and in order to provide for engagement and disengagement of the interlocking flanges 6 and 14 the edge portion of the base 11 provided with the slots S is barren of a flange 1l, as indi-A cated most clearly in Fig. 4. In the event of the base 11 being` of triangular forni to match the triangular shape of the lamp body two of its edges only are provided with flanges 14, the third edge being left straight .so that the lamp may be slipped in and out of the third edge. When the lamp body is in position and opposite flanges t3 are engaged by the flanges 14 at opposite edges of the base l1, the slots 8 of' the base 11 register with the slots 7 of the flange G of the sidel of the lamp body opposite the third or rear edge of the lamp top and when placing the lamp in position upon the lamp bracket 10, attached to the vehicle, the ears 9 passing through the registering openings 7 and 8l form lock means to prevent displacement of the lamp body and top. The ears 9 curve upwardly and rearwardly, thereby preventF 'ing casual displacement of' the lanip from the bracket When placed in position thereon. When it is required to change the position of the lamp body with reference to the lamp top the lamp is removed from the bracket l0 and the body is disengaged from the top and after being adjusted to present the required identification numbers the lamp is replaced upon the bracket and is supported and locked thereby in the manner stated.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

the advantages of the construction and ofA the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and While I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I 110W consider to be'the embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are Within the scope of the claims appended hereto. f

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

l. A lamp of the character specified coinprising a body provided with an illuniinator and having a plurality of sides embodying transparent material upon which designan ing matter appears, a top closin the u per end of the lamp body and detac iably fitted prising a lamp body having a plurality of transparent sides bearing identifying matter and having flanges at the upper edge of its sides, and a lamp top having bulls eyes in its sides and detachably fitted to the lamp. body, and having flanges adapted to interlock with the flanges ofthe lamp body and hold the lamp body and lamp top when properly placed together.

3. A lamp of the character specified com' prising a lamp body provided with an illuiniiiator and having a plurality of transparent sides bearing identifying matter and having outwardly extending flanges at the upper edges of the sides, said flanges having openings, a lamp top comprising a base and a chimney, ,the latter having bulls eyes at ,4. A lamp of the character described com i prising a lamp body having an illuminator and provided with a plurality of transparent sides bearing identification matter and having outwardly extending flanges at the upper edges of the sides, said flanges having openings therein, a top for closing the upper end of the lamp body and comprising a base and an upper portion, the latter having bulls eyes in its sides, and said base having an edge .portion formed with openings to register with the openings in the flanges of the lamp body sides and provided with flanges to interlock with the flanges of the lamp body, and a lamp bracket having ears to pass through registering openings in the matching parts of the lamp body and lamp to IIn testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY J. KNIPPLE.

Witnesses: v

GEORGE J. HAMMER, RUSSELL S. MEARKLE. 

